


Technical Difficulties

by I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins



Series: Nately- AUs, Canon Divergent, and More [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-25 02:51:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3793903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins/pseuds/I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Even in another life, they'd find each other. Across the ages, across universes, they belong together."</p><p>Short, modern day AU of Ely Cousland and Nathaniel Howe.</p><p>Warning: fluff is all over this.</p><p>Written as part of a challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ely sat at her computer desk, brow furrowed in frustration as it shut down. Again. "Blasted piece of technological junk," she muttered under her breath, causing her housemate to laugh.

"What's the matter, Ely? Did you break it, again?" he quipped with a smirk.

She glared and threw her swimming goggles at him. "Shut up, Carver," she grumbled. She turned back towards her computer and stared blankly at it for a few moments before slamming her hand on the keyboard. "I hate computers," she mumbled.

Carver chuckled and tossed the goggles on the desk. "Looks like you'll need to call a tech."

"I don't want to."

He snorted and began walking towards their kitchen. "Good luck fixing it on your own, then," he replied dryly.

Ely sighed and grabbed her cell phone, hesitating. She was on a college student's budget. She could barely afford ramen, even with her swimming scholarship paying half her tuition. She sighed and leaned her head on the desk, her long black hair spreading out and covering her face.

"Don't you have a paper due soon?" Carver called from the kitchen.

She groaned, remembering the three page report on medieval history. Well, it was supposed to be three pages. So far, hers was more like three words. "Don't you have something better to do?" she replied.

She could almost hear him roll his eyes. "Yes, I could fight with my sister, instead, but I'd rather annoy you," was his snarky reply. He paused for a moment. "Aren't you going to say 'shut up, Carver'?" he asked.

She shook her head, realized he couldn't see her, and grunted. "Didn't you say you knew a computer guy?" she asked instead, staring at her phone again.

Carver popped his head back in the main living area. "Yeah, his number's on the board."

She nodded and stood up, walking quickly over to the dry erase board they kept on the wall. Her eyes roamed across the various notes, lists, and phone numbers cluttered along the sides. When she found the number she was looking for she frowned and typed it in.

It rang a few times, some obscure metal band playing as the ringtone before a deep male voice answered. "Nathaniel Howe's Computer Tech," he said.

Ely cleared her throat. "I think my computer is on fire. There's a burning smell," she said with a shrug.

The man snorted into the phone. "It's probably not on fire..." She heard him cough, like he was suppressing a laugh. "Has it been making a loud noise recently?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Silence from the other end caused her to check to see if her signal was lost. "Hello?"

She heard a shuffling sound, like he had put the phone down and picked it back up. "Alright, I have a free spot open in about an hour," he replied.

She grunted, annoyed. "Fine," she replied and gave him her address, name, and phone number.

After she hung up she tossed the phone onto the couch and went to the kitchen, stomach grumbling loudly. She opened the fridge and glared at the meager contents. Her stomach grumbled again and she frowned. A case of beer, a half-eaten apple, and some strange leftover something of Carver's were the lone items on the shelf. She reached in and grabbed the fish sauce and wasabi and set to making some cheap ramen.

As the water boiled, her thoughts wandered back to her computer and the rude technician she had spoken to on the phone. She shook her head and dumped the noodles in the water, stirring idly with a wooden spoon. Her swimming competition at Thedas University was coming up in a month. Ely closed her eyes and imagined herself back in the water, the feel of her muscles working as she glided through it. If she could do nothing but swim for the rest of her life, she'd die happy.

When the noodles were almost done she drained out most of the water and added the soy sauce and a tiny dab of wasabi. Carver came up behind her and sniffed.

"Smells good," he said, and used his fork to grab a noodle.

Ely glared up at him. "Jerk," she grumbled. "Make your own."

He shrugged and grabbed the half-eaten apple out of the fridge. "Not hungry," he replied, taking a bite.

She snorted in reply and took her bowl to the sitting area. She put on some jazz music and picked at her food, toe tapping impatiently as she waited for the tech guy.

She soon drifted off to sleep, the bowl of food tipped precariously in her lap. She didn't even wake when a loud knock pounded on the door.

~...~...~

Nathaniel stood outside the tiny house, hand raised and ready to knock a second time when the door flew open. "Carver?" he questioned, looking at the man in surprise.

Carver grinned and waved him inside. "Hey, so she did call, good," he replied as a way of greeting.

Nathaniel raised a brow and stepped inside and noticed a girl asleep on the couch. Her mouth was slightly askew and a bowl of food was still in her lap. He chuckled. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend," he said.

Carver snorted rudely. "Girlfriend? Ely? Don't be ridiculous, she's like family."

Nathaniel grinned. "Oh, then she's available?" he asked, eyeing the girl. She was short but well-muscled with a strong jaw and high cheekbones.

Carver frowned. "Like a  _sister_ ," he emphasized.

"You hate your sister," Nathaniel pointed out.

Before Carver had a chance to respond, Ely awoke with a start, part of her hair plastered against her face.

"Whatsit?" she mumbled, voice heavy with sleep.

Nathaniel crossed his arms and stared down at her. "I'm here for your computer," he said.

Ely rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked up at the man. He had long, chocolate brown hair and dark gray eyes. He wore a black t-shirt that said, " _I'm here because you broke something"_ and she frowned back up at him, still bleary-eyed from sleep.

She pointed to the desk in the corner. "There," she said.

Nathaniel glanced over at the computer and his mouth fell open in shock. "That.. that is a Commodore 64," he said.

She raised a brow at him. "I bought it at a garage sale," she replied with a shrug. "I can't get its other parts to work."

Nathaniel turned back and stared at her. "Other... parts?"

She pointed to the pile of assorted cords and junk. Nathaniel walked over and shuffled through it, shaking his head and muttering the whole time. "This is all useless," he explained. "Cords that don't go to anything, obsolete hard drives and disk drives, a broken printer…" he trailed off and ran his fingers through his hair.

Ely swore softly under her breath. "Well, shit. You can't fix it then?"

He looked at her, mouth agape, before answering. "Fix it? There's nothing to fix. Even if you just used it for word processing, you have no printer, and it will never be internet capable."

She frowned. "I can't just put it on one of those portable things and print it at my campus?" she asked, scratching her head, an annoyed tone to her voice.

He let out a short laugh and she glared at him. "It would crash your campus library," he said with a snort. "And you mean a flash drive."

Carver grunted and headed upstairs. "Have fun with that, Ely. I'm taking a shower."

She groaned loudly. "Shit."

Nathaniel shrugged. "With computers, new tech is cheaper than old. That'll be 50 dollars, now."

She furrowed her brow. "For what?"

"I don't work for free…" he drawled.

She blushed. "But you couldn't even fix... I thought, shit. Can you bill me or something?"

He scowled. "No," he replied before smiling. "But I guess I can take another form of payment," he added with a wink.

She narrowed her light blue eyes. "And what does that mean?" she ground out.

He chuckled low. "How about a cup of coffee and something to eat?"

Her face relaxed a bit. "Oh. Yeah. I can do that. If you don't mind ramen and instant coffee."

He scrunched his face at the word 'instant' but nodded. "Sounds fair enough."

He followed her into the kitchen, noticing her bare feet as she walked briskly in front of him. Her hips moved slightly as she walked and he grinned in appreciation of the view.

She shuffled around the tiny kitchen, searching for the coffee. Frowning hard she noticed it up on the second shelf on the top cabinets. She stood on her tip-toes, stretching to reach, and her t-shirt slid up, revealing the small of her back.

Suddenly, she felt someone warm and solid pressed against her and glanced over and up, her eyes meeting Nathaniel's. His arm was outstretched, brushing against her own and she felt her cheeks and neck heat up. He grinned at her, eyes locked, and they both forgot how to speak momentarily.

A shrill ringing sound startled them both and Ely took the chance to duck under his arm and head for the living room to answer her phone. Her heart was beating fast, and she had to admit the sarcastic technician was very attractive. She grabbed the phone a minute too late and the call went to voicemail. She shrugged and threw it back on the couch before walking back into the kitchen.

Nathaniel had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and was stirring two cups of hot water into a pair of mugs with dolphins on them. She gulped, another blush rising to her cheeks. Damn, but she didn't usually react this way.

He flashed a grin at her. "I couldn't find your sugar."

She shrugged. "Probably isn't any. I take mine black, anyway."

He smirked. "Good," he replied. "Too much sugar ruins the flavor."

She nodded and took the mug and took a sip of the bitter, odd tasting drink. It tasted slightly metallic, like all cheap instant coffee, and she wrinkled her nose. She missed good coffee.

Nathaniel took a long drink and grimaced. "If you need a computer that bad, I can loan you one of my spares. Going to cost you, though," he warned and his voice caused shivers to race down her spine.

"I don't really have a lot of money to rent anything," she said, biting her lip.

Nathaniel stared a moment, fixated. "Well, we might be able to work something out," he agreed.

Ely looked over at him, face bright with a smile and he noticed her nose was crooked. "Really?"

He chuckled and nodded. "How about a date?"

Her mouth fell open and her whole face turned bright red. "Uh, I-I that is, I mean," she stuttered, stumbling over words as embarrassment flooded through her.

He grinned and set the coffee mug on the table. Moving to stand in front of her he leaned in close. "You don't want to go on a date with me?" he murmured, voice low and eyes gleaming with mischief.

"No! I mean, yes, I mean, I just met you!" she stammered, very aware of just how close he was. She stared into his dark gray eyes and noticed little bits of silver speckled throughout them.

He chuckled and the sound made her knees weak. "Ah, I see. Well, if we go out to lunch, you'll have the perfect chance to get to know me better," he replied with a grin.

She gulped and pushed at his chest, and felt relieved when he stepped back. She didn't want to admit it, but with him standing so close she couldn't think straight. "Maybe. I don't know," she said and bit her lip again.

He nodded. "Well, you have my number, if you change your mind," he replied and gave her a half-grin. "Now, I have to get back to work. Good luck, Ely," he said, and the way he said her name made her legs turn to jelly.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Ely paced in front of her bed, a small frown on her face. Her long hair was wrapped up in a towel and another tower covered her armpit to ankles. She kept glancing at her bed, where her cellphone lay. Should she call him? she wondered. On one hand, he was very attractive. And he had a job. But he was also rude. And bold. She shivered as she remembered the way he had leaned in close, almost but not quite touching her.

Should she call him? She didn't need a computer that badly… right?

She sighed and plopped back on her bed, landing in a tangle of blankets and clothes. She grabbed her phone and held it up in front of her face, staring past it at the ceiling. She twirled it in her hand and tapped her foot to the rhythm of the saxaphone blaring from her speakers.

A large knock sounded on her door. "What?" she hollered.

The door creaked open a small crack and Ely heard Carver's voice on the other side. "I'm ordering pizza, want to go halves?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," she answered and let her arm fall back onto the bed with a plop. "Your friend, what's he like?"

Carver grunted. "You mean Nathaniel, don't you? Don't call him. He's had a lot of girlfriends."

Ely let out a short bark of laughter. "So?"

"So, he also fools around a lot. He's no good for you," he replied.

Ely rolled her eyes and tossed her pillow at the door. "You're an idiot. And overprotective. Go order pizza."

She heard him grunt again and the door shut with a soft click. She grabbed the phone and rolled over onto her stomach, snuggling deeper into the pile of fabrics. She brought up his number and bit her lip, hesitating. She couldn't call him.

_It's Ely. I've decided to accept your offer of trading a date for the loan of_

_**DELETE** _

She sighed and pressed the phone against her face with a groan. Why hadn't she just answered then so she wouldn't have to make this horribly awkward call now?

"Stupid," she muttered under her breath.

_Hi, it's Ely. The girl with the old computer? I was just texting to see if maybe you were still interested in that thing you mentioned._

She could feel her cheeks burning as her finger hovered over the send button. Did it sound stupid? Awkward? What if he changed his mind or was only joking? Fuck.

She took a deep breath and hit send. You had to jump in the water sometime, she figured. The worst he would do is say no.

_Re: Hey, Ely. You mean the date? Of course, I am still interested. Can I take your message as a positive sign?_

She smiled in relief.

_Yes, you can._

_**Send** _

She sat up and grabbed her favorite old black t-shirt that said Highever High School Swim Team on the back and her light blue sports bra. She pulled them on while she waited on his reply.

_Re: Great. Tomorrow afternoon, 1:30? Lunch at Calenhad Cafe?_

Ely's mouth watered at the thought of their pea soup and fresh roasted black coffee.

_Sounds good! See you then._

_**Send** _

She slipped on a pair of running shorts and tied her hair back in a loose ponytail, letting her mind wander as the jazz music continued to hum in the background.

A loud knock jolted her out of music-induced trance. "What?" she asked, a bit annoyed.

"Pizza's here. You owe me ten bucks."

She grunted back a reply and grabbed her phone, only to notice it beeping at her. She opened up the message and smiled.

_Re: I look forward to it, Ely._


	3. Chapter 3

Ely stood outside the cafe', a frown on her face as she stared at the door handle. It was less crowded than she had hoped for, which meant she might have to actually  _talk_. Damn.

She sighed heavily and yanked the door open. A cool blast of air hit her in the face, turning the sweat on the back her neck to gel. She spotted Nathaniel sitting in a corner booth, a bored smirk on his face. She frowned again and then tried to force a smile. Morrigan had warned her not to frown a lot. Apparently the last guy she had gone on a date with had complained about it to Morrigan later.

She waved at Nathaniel and walked over to him. He wore another plain t-shirt, this one gray with dark blue letters that read: " _Computer Technician: Because 'badass' isn't an official job title."_ His long hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and Ely gulped.

She was grateful he had picked a casual place to dine, all she owned was t-shirts and swim gear. "Hi," she mumbled, trying not to scrunch her eyebrows.

He grinned up at her and motioned for her to sit. "I'm glad you showed up," he said.

She shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"

He smirked. "Carver didn't warn you about me?"

"He did," she replied and bit her lip before continuing. "Is it true?"

It was his turn to shrug though he did so with a smile. He put his arms behind his head and leaned back, stretching, and his shirt rode up to reveal part of his stomach. She noticed a trail of hair that led down the front of his jeans and her cheeks heated up in response.

"Most of it, probably. Does that bother you?" he asked.

She thought a moment before answering, still chewing on her lip in thought. "No. It's just a casual date in exchange for your laptop."

His face fell a bit as he looked at her. "Is that all this is then? You weren't interested in seeing me at all?" he asked.

"Uh… I, I… guess…" she mumbled.

He snorted. "Well, then. I suppose that's better than flat out rejection."

He grabbed the menu and began browsing it, brow furrowed. Ely stared at him a moment, wondering if he was angry at her answer. With a small sigh she leaned her head in her hand and fiddled with her silverware.

"You're not hungry, I take it?" he asked, glancing at her. There was a flash of annoyance in his eyes and she shook her head.

"I am. Today's Saturday. They have the best pea soup on Saturdays," she replied.

He chuckled. "I thought you weren't ordering to make the date over with quicker," he admitted.

She snorted loudly. "Why would I do that?" she asked.

He put the menu down and raised a brow at her. "I thought this was just a casual date for you?" he murmured, voice low and it made her shiver.

She shrugged. "It is," she said. She doubted he'd have much interest after this. Her sister-in-law always told her men like more perky, upbeat women. "But I'm still hungry."

He laughed loudly. "Fair point," he agreed, and waved the waitress over. He looked up and read her name tag. "Caroline, is it? We need two pea soups for my friend and I here," he said with a small wink.

Ely frowned as the waitress giggled and left the table. Nathaniel glanced over at her and noticed her expression. "Something the matter, Ely?" he asked.

She shook her head and crossed her arms, looking away. The sun shone brightly through the stained glass window and she could hear a few birds chirping. She heard Nathaniel clear his throat and her eyes were drawn back to him. He had a smirk on his face which only made her frown harder.

"You're cute when you frown," he said, eyes twinkling.

Her eyes widened and she felt a bolt of heat shoot up her neck and across her face. She was certain she was tomato red right then. "I-I am not!" she stuttered.

He chuckled. "If you insist," he replied, the smirk still in place.

She got to her feet quickly and mumbled something about the bathroom before walking that way as quickly as she could.

The bathroom was thankfully empty as she stood in front of the sink. She splashed some cool water on her face as thoughts of Nathaniel's smirk made her legs shake. Hell, just the sound of his voice was certain to be her undoing. She just had to keep him from talking is all. Once the food arrived, he'd have other things to do with his mouth.

Other things…like kissing…

Ely cursed herself for even thinking of such a stupid idea. But images of his lips, hovering so close to her own, kept flashing before her eyes.

Shit.

She sighed and grabbed a paper towel to dry her face with. The last thing she needed to do was make him aware of the effect he had on her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calmly walk back to the booth. The soup was already on the table and Nathaniel was staring down at it, a dubious expression on his face.

She sat down and he looked up at her, face twisted in disgust. "It's green."

She grunted. "Yeah. It's  _pea_  soup," she replied with a shrug. She grabbed her spoon and breathed in the smell. It reminded her of home and her Nan's cooking.

His upper lip curled. "I'm not sure I actually like peas," he said.

She stared at him a moment and then took a bite. "Uh huh. Then why did you order it?"

He shrugged and took a spoonful of the food. "I don't really know," he admitted before taking a bite. He grimaced as the flavors settled on his tongue and Ely laughed.

"You look ridiculous," she said, still laughing.

He grimaced and pushed the bowl aside, taking a long drink of water to rid himself of the flavors. He watched a moment as Ely ate her soup, a small smile on her face.

He cleared his throat and leaned back. "So, how did you come to live with Carver Hawke?" he asked.

She shrugged. "We've been friends since middle school. We're both barely scraping by on scholarship programs. It just made sense," she replied.

He raised an eyebrow. "Scholarship program?"

She paused to take a few more bites of her soup before replying. "Mmmhmm. Swimming."

He grinned at her then. "Well, maybe I'll have to come see you perform some day," he said, making his tone suggestive.

She chuckled. "Yes, you can see me at my finest: nose plugs, swim cap, and all," she replied dryly.

He laughed a moment and she smiled in return. "I think I might enjoy that."

She shook her head, enjoying the easy conversation. "So, how do you know Carver?" she asked.

"We met through Aveline. She introduced us both at Belegarth," he replied.

Ely nodded in recognition. "The medieval combat with foam swords, right?"

Nathaniel grinned as he continued to watch her eat as they talked. He liked that she enjoyed her food. It made him wonder what else she might enjoy. "Yep. You should try it something."

She grunted and took a sip of water, letting the cold liquid run down her throat. "No time between classes, swim practice, and my mixed martial arts class."

His eyes widened. "Martial arts?"

This time she was the one who grinned. "Yep. You should try it sometime," she quipped.

He laughed at this and her grinned widened. "Maybe I will," he replied with a smile.

Ely looked down at her empty bowl and sighed. Now that there was nothing to eat she felt at a loss with what to do with her hands. Keep them in her lap? Too stiff. Wave them around while talking? Fidget with the silverware? She groaned inwardly and suddenly felt awkward, all over again.

Nathaniel leaned forward, letting his arms rest on the table. "Still hungry? Or something else?" he asked.

She blinked up at him a moment and frowned, which, oddly, made him smile. "No. I'm full," she replied.

He nodded and waved the waitress over. When she got there she smiled brightly at Nathaniel and he grinned in return. "We need the check, please, Caroline," he said.

"Of course, sir!" she replied, politely. "Will this be on one check or two?" she asked.

Ely opened her mouth to say 'two' but Nathaniel was quicker. "Just one," he answered.

She nodded and smiled at them both before walking away. Ely looked at Nathaniel, brow furrowed. "I can pay for my own meal," she grumbled.

He chuckled. "I'm sure you could, but it's quicker this way," he replied.

Ely struggled not to frown harder. "I didn't realize you had to leave right away."

Nathaniel shrugged casually. "I don't."

This time she did frown. "Oh," was all she could say though.

He grinned as Caroline laid the check on the table. He handed her his debit card but kept his eyes on Ely. "I was thinking maybe checking out the new theme park that opened up nearby."

"The Wonders of Thedas? I heard about that place. Well, have fun," she replied, trying not to sound disappointed.

He chuckled again as he signed the receipt. He stood up and looked down at Ely, putting his wallet back into his back pocket. "Well, I hope to," Nathaniel said with a grin. "Or do you not like theme parks?"

She looked up at him, a confused expression on her face, before realizing what he meant. "Oh! Uh, yeah, I mean yes, I do," she said and got to her feet.

He smiled and motioned for her to walk first. "Good, then we'll both have fun," he replied and watched as she walked towards the door. He smiled to himself and made a mental note to thank Carver later.

~...~...~

The sun had set about an hour ago and the night hair caused Ely to shiver. She stood in front of her door, a stuffed toy in one hand, and looked up at Nathaniel. He had won her to strange looking animal and they had laughed while trying to figure out what it was supposed to be. It looked like a cross between a rabbit and a pig with the nose of a anteater.

She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and gulped nervously. "Thanks for tonight. It was fun," she mumbled nervously.

His smile was wolfish as he leaned in close. "Mmm. It was, I never expected you to scream so loud on the roller coaster," he said, murmuring into her ear.

She blushed, remembering the high pitched sound that had emitted from her when  _The Dragon's Crooked Spine_  had went in for a vertical loop. "It felt like I was going to fall," she grumbled.

He chuckled and his breath against her ear sent shivers down her back. "It was pretty cute when they tried to tell you weren't tall enough, though," he continued, causing her to blush further.

She grunted and pushed lightly at his chest. "Jerk," she muttered.

He pulled back a bit, this time staring into her eyes. She licked her lips and his eyes followed the movement, both of their heartbeats pounding. He leaned in and she softly closed her eyes, holding her breath in anticipation.

When his lips brushed against hers they were firm and confident and she melted into the kiss. She clutched the stuff toy in her hands as Nathaniel used his tongue to part her lips. She moaned into his mouth and he gripped her shoulders tightly.

Suddenly a swath of light hit them as the front door flew open. Ely jerked away, surprised and embarrassed at the same time. Carver stood in the doorway, a frown on his face and a pretty girl with dark skin and golden eyes next to him. She had a saucy grin on her face and a gold piercing below her lip.

Carver opened his mouth to say something but the girl cut him off. "Hello! My name is Isabela, you must be Ely. Who's your friend?" she asked with a lavious wink.

Ely rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh. This is Nathaniel," she replied.

Isabela smiled and bowed. "Well, I should head out. I hope to see both of you again, soon," she said and winked at Carver.

To Ely's amazement Carver blushed a little and nodded at the girl. She grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her breasts pressing against his arm for a moment before she sauntered off.

Carver grunted and glared at Nathaniel one last time. "I'm going to bed," he said, turning around and heading up the stairs.

Ely turned to Nathaniel and moved towards the door. "I, uh…" she said, not really sure what to say. Her lips still burned from their kiss and she wanted more.

Nathaniel grinned down at her. "Can I call you again?" he asked.

She nodded and hugged the stuff toy to her chest. He chuckled and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight then, Ely," he said and walked away.

She stood on the stoop a moment, still in a daze before she finally went inside and up to bed.

 


End file.
